


a crown of thorns and a murder of crows

by orphan_account



Series: Haikyuu Royalty AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn, sun/moon imagery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25170361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A golden band lays forgotten on the desk, next to a pile of tear-stained letters read over and over. The sun's comfortable warmth had turned suffocating as it beat down upon him. Was there a god? And if there was, was he punishing him for something he ultimately could not control?The king leaned over his desk and picked up the ring, examining it as he held it delicately between his thumb and forefinger. How did an alliance turn to this?
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio & Oikawa Tooru, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Haikyuu Royalty AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823431
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue - Of Suns and Moons

King Kageyama of Luna, the Moon Kingdom would have never pegged himself as the type to stare contemplatingly at the sky, but as of late he had caught himself doing so more often then he would have liked. He didn’t know what he was searching for, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. Just before he would catch himself longingly looking towards the gradient of colors that made up the sunrise, one fleeting thought would compare a young king he was quite familiar with (albeit, unintentionally) to the Sun.

Yes, he had decided, King Hinata was the Sun, and if Kageyama could make a direct parallel to himself, he would call himself Pluto, for Pluto never felt the Sun’s perfect warmth and was long forgotten by many, yet still orbited the Sun.

Kageyama had known from the day he met King Hinata of Solis, the Sun Kingdom that he was doomed to orbit forever, aching to collide in a supernova that would end him if he were lucky, freeing him if he wasn’t. Kageyama never wanted to be free of him.

Truly, he was doomed to orbit him, and Hinata was doomed to die as stars and suns do; beautifully in an explosion of light and color and pain, a whispered shout, as slow and as quick as an ending can be.

Of course, the King knew that men weren’t stars or suns or moons or planets, but sometimes he couldn’t stop his wandering thoughts.

Sometimes he didn’t want to.


	2. Of Letters and Proposals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the post arrives in the sun kingdom, bringing a delightful correspondence to light. also arriving in the sun kingdom, is a proposal of great importance. 
> 
> (alternatively: hinata's mail comes and some important visitors come to offer a truce)

The day was nearly over when Hinata heard the familiar rapping of knuckles against the door of his study. Sighing, he pushed the stack of papers he had been sorting through to the side, recognizing the signature knock of Princess Natsu.

“Come in,” He calls. He’s tired. It had been a long day inside with extensive paperwork to sort through without the help of his advisor, who had come down with a minor virus and had been resting in his room for the better part of the past week. Natsu pushes the door open with her foot, a large tray balanced in her hands. “The door, please?”

Compliantly, she pushes the door closed with her foot before crossing the room to his desk, her skirts billowing behind her. Carefully, she places the tray on his desk before flopping onto one of the plush armchairs next to his desk--an action that would seem to be undignified if Hinata didn’t know his sister as well as he did.

“What is it today?” He asks, pulling the tray across the wooden surface. He connected the dots and realized that he must have missed dinner whilst drowning in parchment and that Natsu had been sent to bring him his meal--Salmon and spinach--which had recently become a favorite of his in terms of protein. He began to eat after saying a quick “Thank You.”

The crown princess sighed dramatically, body halfway out of the chair. “Mother wouldn’t let me play with the knights today.”

Hinata almost choked on his spinach attempting to stifle a laugh. Once he is certain he can speak without bursting into fits of laughter, the ginger speaks. “Natsu, what makes you think that after years of relentless pestering, she would finally give in to your “unladylike” request?”

Another loud sigh breaks the silence. He finally looked up from the expertly cooked fish to see his sister laying on the ground, only her right leg set upon the chair.

“I know, I know,” She starts, “I suppose it was a bit ridiculous-” As the princess begins to drone on about how unfair and old-fashioned their mother’s ideals were, Hinata begins to tune it out, instead choosing to focus on a small stack of cream covered envelopes resting on the chair that her leg was now occupying.

“Natsu?” He called out, effectively cutting her off.

“Hm?” Although she was hidden from his sights, Hinata had an inclination that she had tilted her head quizzically as was habit.

“What are those?”

“What are what?” She sat up.

“Those envelopes. What are they?”

“Oh, the post came. Better late than never, I suppose.”

“Oh.” He paused and made brief eye contact with her before waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Some of your suitors, huh Natsu?” He sighed, waving his fork around in the air in order to gesture to her current situation. “If only they could see you now-”

Now alert, and standing, Natsu shrieked. “Shōyō!” Her face was redder than the dress she was wearing. “I do not have suitors! They’re not for me!” In an attempt to prove him wrong, she grabbed the letters and read through them, naming off who they were for. To her dismay, four out of seven of the letters addressed to the elder Hinata had Natsu’s name in the subject line.

With a pout, she flung the letters onto his desk where he sorted them into a pile, taking a look at them himself. The second he saw the now-familiar scrawl his heart began to beat a little faster. He assumed it was the thrill of a response.

King Kageyama had finally responded to his inquiry.

With a glance upwards and a pointed stare from him, Natsu quickly excused herself to her chambers for the night, pressing a quick, sisterly peck to his temple before swiftly making her leave, shutting the door behind her so to give him privacy. Hinata pushed his dinner tray out of the way, setting the letter in front of him.

As usual, the cream-colored envelope was pristine and orderly in all the ways Kageyama was. The lovely cursive of the fellow king’s handwriting managed to enthrall Hinata every time he saw it, delighting in the perfect indentations of the letters, the upward flick of the pen as he finished a word. Although she had never seen it, Hinata was sure that his mother would much prefer Kageyama’s lovely handwriting. Quickly he corrected himself (as had now become second nature): nothing about Kageyama was lovely, his handwriting was simply appealing to the eye. Aesthetics were important--that was why Hinata usually asked his sister to address his letters.

Despite the diplomatic scrawl and proper usage of his titles, Hinata expected an insult to be awaiting him as soon as he opened the letter, as per usual.

_‘For The Insufferable Tangerine Reading This,_

_First of all, I hope your day has been horrible as it is the most you deserve to have, you idiotic twat. I would wish your family well and pursue other formalities, but I do not think you worthy of these half-hearted hopes. You deserve everything that comes your way, especially if it is horrible and crude._

_Second: a response to your inquiry. No, I have not considered engagement with a dairy cow. No matter how happy it would make me to have free access to the best dairy in the nation whenever I pleased, I do not think that engagement legal as it would undermine and disregard matrimonial consent from the cow. Also, I suppose that a half-cow heir would create quite the scandal and would not be suitable for rule, especially if it took after its mother._

_Finally, news of my own: My kingdom has colonized another island, which means that I am winning by two. Our economy has begun to right itself, despite the terrible incident from last year. Soon we will be back and better than ever, ready to kick your ass as well as your assets._

_I sincerely wish you the most terrible of headaches as you attempt to scour your brain for anything that could be even the smallest bit useful to you._

_Genuinely and Horridly Yours,_   
_King Kageyama Tobio of The Kingdom Luna’_

Hinata scoffed and folded the letter up again, returning it to its envelope. He sorted through the rest of his mail, setting aside the rest of his personal correspondence with Kageyama’s letter. The four letters from possible suitors for Natsu were pushed off the desk into a box filled to the brim with other requests that Hinata would have to sort through eventually.

Carefully, the ginger king selected a single sheet of paper, an inkpot, and a pen, smoothing out the paper before dipping the pen into the ink. He began his letter:

_‘For The Dairy-Obsessed Prick Reading This…’_

* * *

When he woke, Hinata was positive that he was not where he had fallen asleep the previous night. He was still dressed in the clothing he had worn yesterday, but he was lying atop his bed rather than slumped over his desk. The bed was inviting, and he was more than ready to curl back up and resume his slumber, before he remembered that today a King from a neighboring kingdom would be visiting for dinner.

Knowing that he had to get on with his day, the young man groaned and rolled out of bed, landing on his feet--this was routine for him. His crown had been set on his bedside table and after a contemplative glance, he resigned to putting it on later. He quickly poked his head into the hallway outside of his room to see his favorite guards were stationed there. Kōji and Izumi were standing outside, quietly chatting.

“Good morning.” Hinata greets politely. The two return the sentiment before he returns to his room, closing the door behind him.

After a bath and a quick selection of clothing, he was all ready for the day. With a short-lived contemplative glance towards the bedside table, he quickly adorned his crown--a gilded reminder of his status within the kingdom. With a final once-over, he left his chambers, sliding into easy conversation with his favored guards as they escorted him to his office. They paused, taking up their post outside the door as Hinata entered, moving to his desk.

He settled into his work, carefully sorting through the remainder of the documents from the previous day. It wasn’t long before Natsu entered the large office, glancing at the bookcases lining the walls before placing a tray full of food in front of him. She busied herself with settling into the same plush chair as the night before.

“Good day, Natsu.” He greeted, finishing off his signature with a simple flourish before pushing the document (which had been his last of that stack) aside. The tray was filled with a small stack of pancakes with a side of bacon and eggs. Strawberry slices and whipping cream sat beautifully atop the fluffy cakes and a cold glass of orange juice accompanied the meal.

He licked his lips in anticipation before grabbing his fork and digging in. Taking his mouthful of food as an indication to start talking, the young princess launched into a rant. What about, Hinata could not discern. There seemed to be no particular notion she was continuing on about, jumping from topic to topic like a rabbit being chased.

As Natsu rambled on, the young King found his attention captured by the reflection of sunlight cast upon the walls and floor. The morning sun was warm and welcome upon him, his cheeks painted with the soft orange light. He closed his eyes and for a brief moment, he found the light seeping through his eyelids, vision turning spotty with small black dots darting around the room once he opened them again.

Natsu had paid no mind to his fleeting thought and had continued speaking, gesturing wildly with her hands as she chattered on. The sunlight draped itself across her back--her having angled herself so the light would not fall upon her face. This caused him to wonder how many people saw the warm source of light as a nuisance. As he tuned into the conversation he picked up a few words regarding his mail.

“--And last night I noticed that the King Akaashi had sent word and I was this close--” She held up two fingers to imitate a small sliver of space between them. “--To opening it because I was wondering why he would be speaking with you but I didn’t because Mother said it was ‘Kingly Business’ and that I should stay out of it! Can you believe that?” He hummed indifferently in response as she paused and looked at him. “What did he write to you about?” There was a glint of curiosity in her eyes as she leaned forward, waiting for him to respond to her inquiry.

Swallowing the bite he had taken of his eggs--sunny-side up, as per usual--he set down his fork. “Oh, just ‘Kingly Business’.” Natsu’s curious gaze quickly became a murderous glare as he began to laugh. “It was nothing, really. Just some pleasantries and speaking off how things were over in his Kingdom.”

“I see.” Her tone was bitter, clearly upset at the joke that Hinata had thought humorous. Clearly, the sentiment was not shared between the siblings. Just as quickly as she sat, the girl stood, quickly smoothing out the skirt of her dress. “Well, I suppose I should be off to accompany Mother on her walk. I shall see you at dinner, hm?”

He nodded. “Yes, of course. Enjoy your walk.” And with a final glance around the room, Natsu was off, the door shutting swiftly behind her. Deciding that he needed to do something that would hold over to lunch, he picked up the box of courtship requests and set it atop his desk. It would be a long couple of hours.

* * *

His day had been quite mild compared to others in the past. Hinata had sorted through various suitors until lunch. He ate lunch with his mother and sister, the trio easing into small talk as they ate in the gardens. After lunch, he had gone on a walk, which had been followed by a friendly sword-fight with a few guards that had been training on the grass. After that, he returned to his chambers where he was dressed in something that had been deemed fit for a king, all for his favored dinner guests.

His family waited in the parlor as they awaited the arrival of their guests, the monarchs of a neighboring kingdom. The clock had barely struck six when a member of the staff introduced the visiting guests--High King Daichi, King Ennoshita, and the Crown Prince Yamaguchi.

The three men entered and bowed to the former Queen and the Princess, before turning to Hinata and doing the same. With a wave of his hand, he told them that they did not need to follow such formalities, for they were practically family at this point with the amount of time they spent together. With a smile, Daichi then pulled Hinata into a warm hug, patting his back before releasing the boy. Ennoshita just smiled and politely bowed, however, it was much quicker so Hinata wouldn’t scold him for it. Yamaguchi and Hinata hugged as well, though their hug lasted a few seconds longer than the previous had, the two almost melting into the other’s warm embrace.

The boys released each other and laughed, the group following the staff member to their dining hall. Hinata, as the resident King, was seated at the head of the table with Yamaguchi to his left, and Natsu to the right. Next to Yamaguchi was Hinata’s Mother, and next to her was Ennoshita. Seated next to Natsu was Daichi. As they ate, the group sectioned themselves off into smaller conversations. Daichi and Natsu were exchanging pleasantries and stories, chatting mainly about Summer activities--Natsu was insistent that swimming was the best usage of free time while Daichi was arguing that Horseback Riding was far better. Ennoshita and Hinata’s mother were engaging in polite conversation and chimed into Natsu’s conversation every so often with their own views on the matter. Yamaguchi and Hinata, however, were talking about how things were at home.

“Yes, he works at the archives in town. He’s so incredibly smart, and he allows me to study with him when I visit.” Yamaguchi continued to explain, talking about a boy that he had met in town. “He can come off as rude at first, but he is truly kind. I’ve known him for a while now as he saved me from getting mobbed in the Marketplace.”

Hinata took a bite of his vegetables as the brunette chatted on, noticing a faint dusting of pink behind his friend’s freckles. “It seems like you really like this boy. He sounds lovely, how you describe him.”

Yamaguchi’s hand--which had been reaching for his drink--stopped short, hovering in midair as he pondered. “I suppose so…” The two paused to listen to the insistent chatter of their companions before he spoke up again. “How are things between you and the king of Luna?” He inquired, an eyebrow arched.

With a mere roll of his eyes, the prince began to burst into laughter, quickly using his hand in a feeble attempt to stifle his giggles.

The brunette paused, beginning to laugh again before he settled himself. “Not well, I take it?”

“No. Not at all.” Hinata swallowed his food. “Recently our correspondence has been on the back of my mind, tearing my focus away from whatever duties I had been attending to. I have to keep myself busy to extinguish the thoughts of me strangling him.” No longer able to keep it in, Yamaguchi burst into loud laughter, which prompted Natsu to start to giggle as well. Soon the room was filled with echoes of laughter from everyone at the table.

After the group had settled, the pair spoke no more of it, instead, cutting into the other conversation periodically, until the group had all finished their meal.

Once they were excused from the meal, the group returned to the sitting room for dessert and drinks together. As they walked, Daichi excused Hinata and himself, promising that they would catch up to the rest of the group. A knowing glance was thrown the ginger’s way, but the young king paid no mind to the prince’s antics.

Hinata led the High King to an empty sitting room, the two settling parallel to the other on a pair of twin couches. It was a few moments before Daichi decided to speak up.

“I’m sure you have some idea why I’ve whisked you away, yes?” The older man began, folded hands resting peacefully upon his lap.

“Yes, I’ve heard brief mention from your Prince as well as whisperings. Other than rumors of a uniting the kingdoms, I have no knowledge of what will be discussed here.” His leg was involuntarily bouncing, betraying the young king’s anxiety.

“Unification is an interesting descriptor,” The brunette called out, “But yes, it is something of that sort.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I have decided to attempt to unify the kingdoms of this region with one other in a mass alliance called the ‘Karasuno Alliance’. So far, a majority of the kingdoms have agreed, yours and another being the only left unaccounted for. You will still be able to carry on with your usual duties, except when a kingdom in the Alliance sends for help, you will comply and vice versa.” Hinata bit his lip as his mind flicked through the possible outcomes of this action, analyzing every move and word Daichi was producing. The High King’s hand slipped into a pocket of his trousers, where he produced a letter addressed to Hinata. “This will have everything I just said to you, and more, in complete detail regarding the Alliance. I will give you time to mull it over, but we will require a response before the end of next week.”

Hinata took the letter and gave it a quick once-over before pocketing it, standing to bow to the elder king. Daichi stood as well, returning the bow before standing upright again.

The two wordlessly made their way back to the parlor, where they engaged in playful banter and not-completely-sober conversation. Natsu had been sent off to her chambers to retire, and Hinata’s Mother had tucked in early as well. After a while, the men were escorted to the rooms where they were to sleep for the night. Hinata then made his way back to his own chambers, quickly changing into pajamas and finishing his nightly routine, tucking himself into bed. Moonlight shone through the window onto his pillow, and it wasn’t long after when sleep overtook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome!! i hope you enjoyed!! i posted this out of schedule, as a little treat, but the next chapter won't be up until the 24th! :)


	3. Of Inquiries  and Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a brief introspective moment into the history of the recent rivalry between the sun and moon kingdoms; a young king comes to a conclusion.
> 
> (alternatively: kageyama stares out of a window and gets lost in thought; he also makes a very important decision)

Kageyama wasn’t one for worrying himself with petty, day-to-day actions, but ever since he had sent a response to King Hinata, he hadn’t stopped wondering about the letter. Despite his actions throughout the day, the cream-colored envelope was always creeping in the back of his mind. It wasn’t necessarily the contents of the letter that plagued his days and nights, no, but the recipient of the letter that was a constant thought. 

Hinata, the young king with whom he had shared rivalry with for many years. His hair was the color of citrus fruits in the summer months, an obnoxious golden orange that could have given Kageyama a headache had he stared too long at it. He was too happy, too open--too naive. In Kageyama’s eyes, he was not fit to be King of a domain as successful as his, and the black-haired king usually chalked his political success up to influence from his mother--the former queen--or successful opinion from his advisor. Deep down, however, he knew that King Hinata was responsible for his own successes and losses. 

The two had a rich history that Kageyama often pondered in the nights when the moonlight lit his room like a beacon and sleep refused to come easily. He recalled the two meeting at some sort of noble social event--perhaps a birthday? No, a coronation. It was Hinata’s coronation, Kageyama remembered. He looked uncomfortable wearing the golden crown that was bestowed upon him and it seemed odd to have him upon the throne--he looked but a child. Whispers floated around the room about the newly crowned King’s age--barely fourteen. Kageyama, at the time, was the same age as him but was still merely a prince and had thought the rumors as stupid gossip. 

Hinata was decked out in soft orange and red tones, reminiscent of an early sunrise. After the (formal and quite frankly, boring) ceremony, the guests began to mingle. After a while, Kageyama had decided that he had enough with the festivities and attempted to escape onto the balcony overlooking the plentiful gardens alone, but instead found himself intruding on what seemed to be an extremely personal moment. The new king was standing at the balcony, arms leaning upon the stone railing, head down. He didn’t notice it at the time, but the ginger’s body was shaking--almost as if he were crying. Instead of confronting him, Kageyama walked away. Despite his feeble attempts at distraction throughout the remainder of the night, he couldn’t get the image of the young boy bathed in the moon’s pure, white light. 

Oikawa had eventually decided that he had enough of the celebration and brought Kageyama with him to exit like the noblemen they were. The pair were brought in front of the new King and the Princess, who were conversing with another royal family from a nearby kingdom. Hinata’s cheeks were red and splotchy and if the dim candlelight had shone any brighter, the ravenette was sure that he would see dried remnants of tears that had cascaded down his soft cheeks. Oikawa politely introduced them and bowed to excuse themselves from the party--wishing the young king a plentiful and long rule. The boy blushed and bowed as well, thanking them for their attendance. 

That was the first time the two boys met. 

After that event, Kageyama began to notice him everywhere. How could he not when everyone seemed to surround him? He was friendly and kind and charming--but not in the superficial way that Oikawa was. Kageyama saw him at Oikawa’s coronation, then later at his own. He saw him at every single one of the Crown Prince Yamaguchi’s birthday parties. He saw him at Princess Natsu’s birthdays and her coronation, as well as all of Oikawa’s birthday celebrations. Every single birthday, ball, wedding, funeral, or coronation, he was always there. No matter whom he spoke with or where he looked, Hinata was always present--be it through word of mouth or a flash of orange in his peripherals, he was a constant reminder of the king that Kageyama wished he could be. 

The two didn’t speak until they were seventeen. Kageyama insulted him by accident and Hinata insulted him back. The two soon devolved into shooting passive-aggressive words at each other until their attention was torn away by other people. This same routine was kept up until Hinata sent an invitation to one of Natsu’s many birthdays, to which Kageyama sent a harshly written response. Then, the two began a constant postal correspondence. 

Over the years, the Moon King found himself pulled into an unwilling orbit. He needed to see him, so much so to the point where he caught himself searching a room for a flash of orange or a split second of all-too-familiar laughter. It wasn’t intentional, of course, but on more than one occasion he had scolded himself for allowing his thoughts to wander so. 

It was nearly noon by the time he snapped himself back to attention. The young king had been perched on a seat in front of a window and had been there since he had eaten breakfast, losing his thoughts as his focus was drawn to the reflection of the sun in Oikawa’s koi pond. Ripples broke the perfect shine the golden sun gave off as koi fish of various patterns swam back and forth in their fresh-water home. 

His mind, however, had not been merely occupied by the thought of the young King, but Kageyama was also occupied with a proposal presented to him two days prior. The High King Daichi had come--alone, without the presence of his King and Crown Prince--to visit their kingdom, and had presented a letter along with a proposal to the High King Oikawa, who had simply waved him off and gestured to Kageyama, stating that he was little more than a figurehead that merely bothered himself with larger concerns. The visiting monarch had simply raised an eyebrow and instead presented the proposal to Kageyama, who had declared that he needed time to think about it. The High King had given him until the end of the next week. 

He only managed a few moments of contemplation--which was very little compared to the long hours of meditation and ponderance spanning the past two days--before he had made his decision. Quickly, the King stood, pausing to stretch briefly and allow his blood to begin circulation again. He realized that his left foot had fallen asleep and was annoyed at the brief delay, but waited before he began the trek through his Castle to his study. With newfound purpose, he walked the halls and climbed the various steps and staircases, occasionally pausing to greet servants or Noblemen, until he arrived at the door to his study. 

Despite only having had his study since his coronation, he felt as though he had spent his entire life in that large room. One wall was entirely made up of floor to ceiling windows and the one that directly parallelled it was adorned with a tapestry picturing the history of the royal family and their kingdom. Despite not necessarily having an eye for art, Kageyama thought the tapestry beautiful and had been briefly relieved when Oikawa had (in confidence) revealed to him that he didn’t necessarily want the tapestry intimidating his guests in the parlor. So naturally--and gladly, although he would never admit it--Kageyama arranged for the artwork to be moved to his study. 

On the opposite end of the room from where the door was positioned was a desk made of chestnut wood with a matching chair. The desk had a few piles of papers and a small oil lamp for when he would work into the dark night with nothing more than the moonlight guiding him, giving him an aide. 

Kageyama immediately made his way to his desk, sitting down. His hands flew over the desk of their own accord, pulling sheets of cream-colored paper with matching envelopes and various writing utensils from their predetermined spots. Once he was sure that he was ready, he began to draft a response. 

_‘Dear High King Sawamura Daichi,_

_I have taken your offer into great consideration, and upon further ponderance, I have come to the decision to join the Karasuno Alliance…’_

* * *

Night soon descended upon the Moon Kingdom, the bright radiance of the full moon casting half-formed shadows across Kageyama’s study. It was then he realized that he had most likely skipped dinner--albeit, unintentionally--and that Oikawa was going to be irritated with his absence. Despite his trademark lenience, the High King Oikawa was adamant on one thing only: that everyone was to be present for dinner each night, unless if they had previously been excused. With a sigh, he realized that an apology was most likely due in the morning. 

Stretching his back out, Kageyama rose from his seat. His letter was sealed and addressed and all set for delivery the next day and after one final glance, he tucked it away and walked to the windows. As he peered down, he spotted the High King taking his nightly walk with his personal guard. A brief moment of hesitation passed before he made his way down to join the pair. 

The area surrounding the palace was filled with lush gardens and stone pathways, where the sound of footsteps hung in the air. The black-haired boy followed the sound of conversation and footsteps until he turned the corner and spotted the duo. 

Oikawa walked with his usual air of grace, his brown hair illuminated by the rays of moonlight. He was dressed in the shades of blue that those who were residents of the palace had memorized as his evening colors. Besides him was his personal guard, Iwaizumi. He was a few inches shorter than his liege, and adorned in polished armor, looking almost silver in the moonlight. His helmet was off and tucked beneath his arm. The two men were strolling in the night, pale moonlight casting shadows of their slowly moving forms upon the cobblestone. 

The sound of Kageyama’s footsteps bounced off the pavement and into the night, and Iwaizumi was quick to turn to see who was approaching, hand on the hilt of his sound. Upon the sight of the crown atop his head, and the fine clothes that Kageyama wore daily, he let his hand fall. As Iwaizumi began to fall out of step with Oikawa, the brunette stopped and turned, tilting his head slightly. The confusion was evident among his features but soon transformed into a wide grin at the sight of the younger King. 

“To-bi-o!” Each syllable was isolated in its pronunciation as the brunette spotted Kageyama. It took a strong mind and an even stronger will to resist the urge to roll his eyes, but after years of Oikawa’s relentless teasing, Kageyama had learned to accept his cousin’s antics. “Why weren’t you at dinner?” The elder king asked, arching a brow. 

There was a brief moment of ponderance as he debated how to respond before quickly deciding upon the good old faithful: “I was occupied with drafting a response.” 

Oikawa nodded his head slowly, letting out a soft hum in acknowledgment. “The inquiry of High King Daichi, I presume?”

“Yes.” 

“You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.” 

“If that’s what you wish.”

The elder monarch huffed in annoyance. “You needn’t be so formal, To-bi-o.” 

“It would be improper to be casual, I think.” His blue eyes bore into Oikawa’s brown pair before he remembered what his purpose had been in running throughout the castle. “Oh, yes. I wanted to apologize for my absence at dinner as well as my intrusion in your nightly walk.” He bowed his head slightly. 

“What did I just say? You _mustn’t_ be this formal with me Tobio! We’re family!” Oikawa firmly shook his head, waving off his cousin’s apology. “It’s fine, truly. Although I am quite peeved that you would interrupt my walk with something so trivial. Couldn’t this have waited until morning?” 

He felt his shoulders stiffen up, freezing as Oikawa mentioned his minor annoyance. “Yes, of course, I apologize, Your Majesty.” 

The brunette scoffed before turning away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Good night, To-bi-o.” 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as the High King began to walk off before turning to Kageyama. “Sleep well.” With a curt nod, he quickly fell into step with his liege. 

A deep sigh joined the chilly night air as Kageyama watched the pair walk away from him, Oikawa chattering away (presumably regarding their previous conversation before Kageyama had interrupted them) and Iwaizumi listening. Only then did he realize how tired he was. With another deep sigh, he turned on his heel and began the trek back to his chambers. 

* * *

When he awoke the next day, his mind hadn’t even registered the walk back to his chambers, nor the changing of his clothes, nor how he had made his way to bed. As usual, his dream was filed away into the back of his mind (there was no time for daydreaming when there was work to be done), and he laid in bed for a moment to collect himself. The sun rays laid upon the empty pillow next to his and for a very brief moment, he began to feel an odd sense of dread. With a harsh shake of his head, his decision to move on with his day was final. 

And thus, the day had begun, his morning routine was followed to a Tee--as usual with him. At breakfast, he ate enough to make up for his unintentional skipping of dinner and humored Oikawa with a brief conversation, exchanging the details he had promised regarding his decision about the alliance. Once breakfast was finished, he made sure that his letter was to be sent with the utmost urgency. 

The rest of his day was spent wasting away within the castle with nothing new to report--other than some gossip that Oikawa had shared with him during a friendly swordfight once the two had gotten bored after lunch. 

Anxiously, he anticipated the arrival of a response. And two days later he received it. 

The letter was simple, stating instructions for the time and date of the first Karasuno Alliance meeting--apparently, all the prospective kingdoms had agreed--and the first meeting was to be a week and a half out, at the palace of High King Daichi, who had been the instigator within the endeavor. 

The days, to Kageyama, flew by as he awaited the meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this chapter!! characters are going to be alternating between their two povs!! it took me a LONG time to write this chapter because i didn't really think i was characterizing kageyama correctly but i hope you enjoyed it!! 
> 
> (i also figured out how to use italics) 
> 
> chapter three will be posted 07/08/20 !!


	4. Of Tensions High and Low

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the meeting commences and new information comes to light; a new friend is introduced. 
> 
> (alternatively: the other members of the karasuno alliance are introduced--also introduced is the boy yamaguchi gushed about in chapter 1 ;))

It was odd, the feeling of a pit in a stomach telling a person something was wrong as they walked into a place they had long ago deemed their “home away from home”, but as King Hinata entered the palace of the neighboring kingdom where his childhood friends ruled this feeling became ever so prominent. It felt as though his heart (and soul, even) was sinking as Yamaguchi guided him to the meeting room. Subconsciously, he began to drag his feet and it was only after he began to fall behind he noticed, quickly snapping himself out of whatever headspace he was in at the moment. 

“Hinata, are you alright?” The brunette asked, stalling at the end of the corridor. 

“Hm? Oh yes, why wouldn’t I be?” Willing himself to snap out of it, Hinata turned to his friend, noticing the tentative nature in which Yamaguchi asked. 

It took a few seconds before his friend responded, selecting his words carefully. “You seem nervous. You’re walking slower than usual, and you’re dragging your feet. You’ve been scrutinizing the floors since we started walking.” 

The young king blinked. “Wow.” 

“Sorry, was that too straightforward?” 

With a wave of his hand and an easy-going grin, Hinata dismissed Yamaguchi’s anxious face. “No, no, you’re right. I just wasn’t expecting a psycho-analysis.” He joked, face scrunching up in a bright smile. 

A relieved smile was shared, then the two were on their way towards the meeting room again. A few more turns down the twisting halls of Daichi’s palace, and they were there. The two men exchanged a brief look, before entering the room. 

Inside, there was a large table made of a deep, dark wood with a fair amount of chairs around it. Quite a few people were already seated, and Hinata recognized most of them--if not all--from previous encounters. Seated in the chair at the head of the table was High King Daichi, looking regal and proud as he shuffled through papers, occasionally turning to converse with his advisor, who was seated to his right. On his left, with the King Ennoshita, who was listening in on their conversation intently. Next to him was another empty seat that Hinata assumed Yamaguchi was to be taking. Across from Ennoshita sat another man, dressed more plainly than the others, but still adorned in the extravagant clothing that elevated his status--someone’s advisor, Hinata decided. To his right was King Sugawara, the ruler of the neighboring kingdom on the other side of their current whereabouts. Next to him was a lady, beautiful and ethereal, a queen, regal and proud. She engaged in polite conversation with the gray-haired king, and after brief consideration, he arrived at the conclusion that the two were related somehow. Across from them were two empty chairs, but standing just in front of them were two men. One had brown hair with a small blonde tuft at the front--Lord Nishinoya--and the other’s hair was buzzed--King Tanaka. The two were talking excitedly, Noya using his hands to emphasize his points. They were fun, as the young king remembered briefly, playing tag or hide and seek with him when he was younger and didn’t have to worry about appearances. As he reached the last two chairs, he saw an empty one--that he presumed belonged to him. His eyes flickered over to the occupied seat across from him and his eyes widened. 

There was no way King Kageyama Tobio was partaking in an alliance. And he was his kingdom’s representative? Preposterous! The door closed behind the pair, and the High King looked up from his papers, gaze locking on the two boys standing at the head of the room. He nodded, and the two walked to their seats, Yamaguchi giving Hinata a small nudge once he realized who he was to be seated next to. 

As the Crown Prince seated himself next to Ennoshita, Noya and Tanaka took their seats as well, giving Hinata a smile grin before turning their attention to Daichi, who had cleared his throat, calling for attention.

“I would like to thank you all for, first of all, accepting my invitation to be apart of the Karasuno Alliance, I truly believe that this union of kingdoms will bring forth a new age of prosperity for our lands.” The ginger boy couldn’t stop his gaze from tearing away from the man addressing them, and instead focused on his fellow King in front of him. Not noticing this, the High King continued, “Here we will be joining the five kingdoms of this valley, and we will bring upon a new era of peace. This room is made up of mostly familiar faces, but I will take it upon myself to formally introduce our guests to one another. As you all know, I am High King Daichi of this kingdom. To my right is my advisor, Ukai.” Ukai, as he was introduced, bowed his head respectfully. “To my left, in King Ennoshita of this kingdom. To his left, is the Crown Prince Yamaguchi, also of this kingdom. Seated to Yamaguchi’s right is Lord Nishinoya, serving as advisor for King Tanaka, who is on his right.” The two men shared a smile and a small fist bump underneath the table. “Tanaka is accompanied by his wife, Queen Kiyoko. To her left is King Sugawara, and to his right is his advisor, Takeda.” Daichi took a moment to pause, and Takeda bowed to the table. “To the right of Kiyoko, is King Kageyama, of the Moon Kingdom.” Kageyama, as infuriating as ever, simply nodded his head. “Across from him is King Hinata, of the Sun Kingdom.” As his name was called, Hinata flashed the table a quick smile. 

Now that they had all been introduced formally, he began to put names to faces. As Daichi began to rattle off statistics and information, the young king went on a trip down memory lane. Lord Nishinoya and King Tanaka used to play with Hinata at various social events, balls, weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc. The three caused chaos together, and despite the two men being older than he, the three always seemed to have a grand time. Queen Kiyoko, however, he had limited experience with. He recognized her as having some sort of royal status before her marriage, as evidenced by her marriage (most likely an arranged marriage, probably to secure an alliance) and the way she held herself--her posture, hand placement, etc. all just screamed noble upbringing to him. The only time he could recall ever seeing her was at her wedding to Tanaka. According to the few details he remembered of that day, she looked lovely in white. King Sugawara’s presence next to her, however, invoked a plethora of memories, brief moments and images flashing through Hinata’s mind. The time that Suga followed Hinata around at his little sister’s christening so he wouldn’t cause trouble, the time that Suga dressed his wound--a scratch a cat had given him when Hinata had only offered his friendship, the time that Suga and him had snuck some treats from the kitchen during one of his visits, before the pair learned that Hinata was to become King. Sugawara as a great friend to him, and a soft smile spread across his lips at he reminisced. As for the others seated the table, they needed no explanation. Yamaguchi and Hinata had grown up together, quickly becoming thick as thieves and spending an almost absurd amount of time together. Ennoshita had babied the younger boys, and Hinata’s memories were filled with various scolding from him, usually out of kindness or caringness, motherly instincts kicking in within the older boy. Daichi was a pillar of support for him, and he had always looked to the older boy for advice from time to time. The advisors, Hinata hadn’t had much experience with, but one thing that he knew for certain was that with the emergence and growth of this alliance--the Karasuno Alliance--that would change soon. 

And Kageyama… well what was there to say about Kageyama? He was annoying, insufferable, irritating--he could go on and on. He was nothing more than a thorn in Hinata’s side, an ever present annoyance that he couldn’t get rid of, even if he tried. He, wouldn’t (his correspondence with Kageyama had been quite entertaining) and he enjoyed the quips the two would exchange from time to time. It brought a smile to his face as he pondered on the insults the two would exchange back and forth. 

When Hinata finally tuned back into the conversation, he caught what seemed to be the tail end of a lecture about uniting the various representatives of each kingdom. 

“Treaties are good, yes, but I think that marriage alliances will go over a lot easier and they will be more effective in the long-run, don’t you agree?” Daichi’s statement was met with various affirmative murmurs from rulers around the table. The high king turned to Kiyoko and Tanka. “What do you think? Since you two do have experience with this, of course?” 

Hinata was shocked at this revelation, although he tried his best not to show it. From next to him, Tanaka nodded. “I think it worked well. King Sugawara’s kingdom and my kingdom have been working together and it has solidified our alliance. We share materials and have promised to ally and support each other in military pursuits.” 

“I agree. Our respective Kingdoms have been thriving under the marriage alliance and our subjects seemed to be a lot more accepting of a marriage rather than a treaty.” Kiyoko added, agreeing with her husband. The diamond on her ring glittered from where she had folded her hands on the table. 

Daichi nodded. “I thought so. I have a few ideas of how we can unite our kingdoms through these alliances, but since this is a collaboration, I’m open to other suggestions or ideas.” The room was silent. “Alright then, I suppose we can talk about this in tomorrow’s meeting. You are all welcome to stay here, we have rooms prepared for each of you.” 

With this finality, the meeting ended. Dim conversation buzzed in Hinata’s ear as he occupied his thoughts with the possibility of a marriage alliance. He sat in his chair, zoning out, until a hand on his shoulder jerked him back to reality.

“Do you want me to show you to your room?” He asked, looking down at his friend. 

“That would be nice.” The ginger nodded, standing from his chair. The two took their leave from the double doors they’d entered through. 

As they traversed the halls, Hinata felt a wave of nostalgia crash over him, remembering the childhood he’d had in this castle. He and Yamaguchi would chase each other down the hallways and skid on the rugs whenever he’d visit; once the pair were caught by either Daichi or one of their mothers, they’d be scolded--but that didn’t stop them. It was only up until recently that the two had stopped their races. Unable to help himself, Hinata turned to his friend.

“Wanna race?” He asked in a way that seemed very unroyallike, reminding him even more so of his childhood. 

A grin spread across his companion’s face as he narrowed his eyes in a challenge. “Oh, you’re on.” Readying themselves at the end of the hall in their favored kick-off positions, the two began to count down together. 

“Go!” They both shouted. Not leaving room for the other to stall, they took off down the hallway. The pair skid around corners and sprinted up and down various staircases. The finishing spot was a small hidden room in a tower the two boys had discovered when they were no more than ten years of age. It was dusty, but they’d claimed it as their secret hideout and had used it ever since. It was a favorite location during their visits and also the finishing line of their little race. 

Hinata’s heart pounded in his chest as he ran down the hallways towards the hidden door. It was a small wooden door hidden behind a large tapestry depicting the Royal Family Tree. Significant names of the land’s history all resided on that tapestry, stitched in golden thread. 

The two had only found the tower by chance. Yamaguchi had pushed Hinata into the tapestry (albeit, it was an accident) and he’d hit solid wood instead of the stone or glass that made up the old castle’s walls. When they snuck behind the tapestry, they’d found a small door with a tiny, spiral staircase behind it. At the top was a forgotten look-out tower that they had, over the years, refurbished. 

He pushed off a wall and found himself at the tapestry. Wasting no time, he lifted it up and crawled under it, pushing open the door and slamming it shut behind him. He took the stairs two steps at a time as he raced his friend. Behind him, he heard the sound of the door opening. Hinata didn’t have much time. Once he reached the lookout, he plopped himself down onto one of the old armchairs that they’d saved from the Queen’s wrath. A few moments later, Yamaguchi jogged up the stairs. 

“You won--again.” He sighed and shook his head. “Is everything a competition to you?” His friend asked, a teasing smirk painted on his lips.

The young king shrugged. “Who knows, maybe it is… but I still won so-!” He blew a raspberry at Yamaguchi. 

“Gross.” Despite saying it, Hinata knew that Yamaguchi was just joking around with him. The boy in question plopped down into the chair opposite his and held his head in his hands. “I’m so tired.” 

“Why?” Admittedly, a bit foolishly, Hinata asked. 

“Why do you think? It’s not like I had an alliance meeting and had to race my friend through the castle of anything, pfft. Never.” 

He waved off his friend’s complaints. “Okay, okay, I get it, blah blah whatever. You’re just mad because I won.” Gracefully as ever, he stuck out his tongue.

“If only your mother could see you now,” He attempted to stifle a laugh, but entered up bursting into laughter. Once he’d composed himself, Yamaguchi spoke up. “The Festival of the Sun is coming soon, right?”

Hinata nodded. “Yes, we’re starting preparations when I return home.”

“Do you know who’s all coming?” The brunette questioned, furrowing his brows.

“I’ve already received confirmation from the kingdoms od Nekoma and Fukurodani--you know, the ones inland from here?” At this, his companion laughed.

“Everything is inland from here.” 

Hinata joined him in brief laughter. “True, true, at least you’re on the coast. I’m assuming that your family will be attending as well?” 

“Always! We never miss a festival, especially one hosted by a dear friend.” The prince insisted, leaning forward slightly in his seat. 

“Of course.” He laughed, smiling at his childhood friend. The rays of the sun began to fade as the sun began to set. Hinata stood and walked to the window, leaning forward on the sill. Yamaguchi joined him. 

“The sunset is always beautiful from up here.” Yamaguchi remarked, eyes trained on the horizon. He was right, Hinata thought to himself as he surveyed the view from the watchtower. The sun was setting behind the ocean, creating a glimmering reflection in the water. The port and town below looked heavenly underneath the golden sunlight. At the sight, Hinata remembered the reason for the nickname for the capital--“The Golden City”. Appropriate, he thought to himself, a silent smile painting itself across his face. 

~~~~~~

Dinner quickly passed and rather than continue conversation in the drawing room afterwards, Hinata tucked in early. Sitting in the room he’d become familiar with from the years he’d spent in the castle, his thoughts wandered to the alliance. There were too many ways the alliance could go wrong, but that was a risk that he was willing to take. His kingdom needed this security. 

The moon hung low in the sky and illuminated his room. Sighing to himself, he crawled into bed. Sleep came to him easily that night. 

The next day wasn’t to be occupied by an alliance meeting--the High King needed to discuss matters with his advisor; he did still have a kingdom to run. Yamaguchi took this relatively free day as a sign to head into town. He had woken Hinata up just after dawn and asked him to accompany him into town. Hinata had, of course, agreed. 

The trip into town wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be and passed by relatively quickly. The brick path turned into a small courtyard, signifying their arrival in the city below the palace. Since it was the end of the week, the marketplace was open. Stalls lined the courtyard in perfect rows and baskets and boxes of product stood just inside. Chatter and shouts announcing prices and barter filled the morning. The two boys had dressed down for their trip into town and had adorned themselves in plain cotton clothing, forgoing the usual luxuries to seem inconspicuous. Grasping his hand tightly, Yamaguchi led Hinata to one of the stalls. 

It was smaller and squeezed in an alley. A middle-aged woman with a kind face stood behind the stall, arranging loaves of delicious smelling bread on small trays. 

“Hello there,” She greeted, a warm smile on her face, “I see you’ve brought a friend this time.” The woman addressed Yamaguchi, something twinkling in her eyes. 

His companion laughed. “Yes, Mariam, I did.” 

The woman, Mariam, then turned to Hinata, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Likewise.” The young king bowed his head to her. 

“Well!” She clapped her hands together and a small cloud of flour appeared. “What can I get you?” His friend took a moment to ponder, carefully scanning the bread in front of him.

“Can we get two loaves of your pumpkin bread?” The brunette decided, his gaze moving from the bread to their seller. 

She nodded. “Of course!” Mariam quickly selected two loaves and took a small sheet of brown paper, efficiently wrapping them up with the speed of someone who’d rehearsed this many times before. “Six copper coins, please.” Yamaguchi smiled and reached to his side for the small coin purse he’d brought with him. Counting out six copper coins, he handed them over to the woman. She gingerly held them in her hands and shot a warm smile at him. “Thank you, come again soon!” 

The prince, playing the part of a common civilian, waved goodbye. “I’ll see you next week!” He then led Hinata--who had been handed the loaves--away. 

They walked through the market again and headed towards the main town. Everything the two of them passed reminded Hinata of the childhood he’d spent there. Images of festivals and celebrations passed through his mind, hitting him with a wave of nostalgia. Arm in arm, the two boys walked silently towards a small building on the corner. The door was a simple wooden one and there was no sign to signify what resided inside. 

“We’re here.” Yamaguchi smiled at him, unlinking his arm and opening the door for Hinata. 

The inside was a lot less plain than the exterior had been. Shelves of books lined the walls and four tables were spaced out in the middle of the room. In the back was a small desk with an oil lamp on top of it. Behind the desk were two more doors. One of them was propped open and Hinata could see a spiral staircase just inside of it, leading upstairs. The other door was firmly shut with a small sign on it that read ‘Not For Public Use.’ Sitting at the desk was a blonde man, reading. Upon laying his eyes on him, Yamaguchi furrowed his brows in slight annoyance. This probably wasn’t who he had expected to see, Hinata thought to himself. 

A quiet bell rang out as the door opened and the man looked up from his book. Spotting Hinata, he tilted his head to the side. Yamaguchi then stepped out from behind his friend and the man grinned cheekily. 

“Good morning, Tadashi.” The man greeted. “I assume you’re here for Kei?” The brunette’s face flushed and the man laughed. “I’ll go get him, if you want. He’s probably still asleep--he’d stayed up late that night reading.” He shook his head laughing. 

Yamaguchi joined him in laughter. “Of course he did.” He shook his head. Finally remembering that Hinata had accompanied him, he turned to his friend. “Oh! Let me introduce you.” 

The man nodded. “Please do.” 

“This is Shoyou.” Hinata shot the man a smile and a small wave from his place next to his friend. “Shoyou, this is Akiteru Tsukishima.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hinata greeted him. 

“Please, there’s no need for formalities, any friend of Tadashi is a friend of mine.” The man, Akiteru, waved his hand dismissively. “Did you just move here?” He asked, rounded the desk and walked towards the two boys. 

“No, I’m just visiting.” Akiteru nodded at this confirmation. 

“How do you like it so far?” 

Hinata took a moment to think of a response. “It’s a lot different from the last time I’ve visited.” 

“Oh, so you’ve visited before?” 

“Yeah, we grew up together!” Yamaguchi chimed in, before nervously looking around. “So… where is he?” 

Akiteru burst into laughter. “I knew it! I knew you were here to see Kei!” He exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the brunette whose face began to flush a bright shade of red. 

“No! Don’t say it so loud!” He whisper-yelled in return. As the two bantered back and forth, Hinata couldn’t help but to grin at his friend. It was nice to see Yamaguchi making other friends--even better when he was out of his element.

After a few moments, Akiteru relented. “Okay, okay, I won’t tell him.” He rolled his eyes playfully. “Even though I’m sure he already knows…”

“Akiteru!” He exclaimed.

“I’ll go get him. Make yourselves at home.” The man gave the two boys a knowing smile before rounding the desk and entering the open door. Taking his time, he walked up the staircase.

Hinata waited a beat before rounding on Yamaguchi. “Is this him? The boy you talked about?”

“I-” It was at that exact moment that Hinata took note of his friend’s quickly deepening blush. “Yes…” Yamaguchi’s admitting caused Hinata to raise his eyebrows and begin to laugh. 

“Wow, I didn’t know you were that whipped.” He laughed.

“Oh, shut up!” Yamaguchi socked him in the arm before hiding his face in his hands. “Oh my god.” His voice was muffled as he spoke into them. 

Hinata’s laughter soon died down and he heard the sound of footsteps on the ceiling above them. Peering towards the back of the room, he noticed two pairs of legs beginning to descend the staircase. One seemed a lot more sluggish than the other and he could hear quiet bickering as they walked down the stairs. They entered the room and Hinata looked over at Yamaguchi, who seemed to be entranced by the boy walking in. 

The boy was blonde, much like Akiteru, and was extremely tall. Soft brown eyes peeked out from behind a pair of glasses that were tilted on his face. His hair was--quite frankly--a mess, but it seemed to Hinata that he’d attempted to smoothen it down before he entered the room. He was wearing a wrinkled shirt and a pair of pajama pants and looked as if he’d just awaken from a deep slumber. Hinata then remembered that Akiteru had mentioned that the boy was probably still asleep. 

He followed Akiteru around the desk and joined the group of boys, rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

“Good morning, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi greeted the boy excitedly, his mood shifting drastically. Hinata almost laughed. Almost. 

Tsukki, as he had been dubbed by Yamaguchi, rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I’ve already told you that you can just call me Kei.” 

Yamaguchi’s face flushed. “Yes--sorry!”

Shoyou raised his eyebrows. “So what brings you here?” Tsukki asked. His gaze flickered over to where Hinata stood by Yamaguchi. “And I see you’ve brought someone too.” 

“Yeah!” Yamaguchi grinned. “This is my friend, Shoyou.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Hinata greeted, smiling warmly at Tsukki.

The blonde scowled and waved him off. “Yeah, likewise.” His attention turned back to Yamaguchi. “Why are you here? You don’t usually come on the weekends.” 

“Oh! I wanted to introduce you to Shoyou,” Kei blinked, staring dully at Hinata. “And I also had a question for you about something I was reading, do you mind--?” Yamaguchi’s hand reached for his bag and Tsukishima nodded. 

“Of course not, come on let’s head into the back.” Yamaguchi grinned at the suggestion and the two boys rounded the desk and entered the closed door, leaving Akiteru and Shoyou together. 

“I have to go reshelve some things, do you mind staying here?” At Hinata’s shake of his head, Akiteru gave a smile. “Alright then--you can sit at one of the tables.” Taking his suggestion, the King sat himself down in one of the simple chairs and folded his hands on the table in front of him.

Akiteru rounded the desk and pushed a small cart out from behind it, piled high with various tomes and files. The elder of the two began to make his way around the room, pausing occasionally to read labels on the wooden bookshelves that lined the walls or to consult the small sheet of parchment he held. 

“So how long have you known Tadashi?” The question was sudden and filled the silence between the two. In all honesty, Hinata wasn’t expecting it. 

“Nearly since birth. I’m a few months older than him but our families were close. They would arrange playdates and we’d play together when our parents would meet. There weren’t many families we knew with children that were around our age, so we bonded over not having any other playmate.” The ginger smiled fondly at the memory. “We used to chase each other around--our parents hated it.”

Akiteru laughed softly. “You sounded like such rascals.”

Hinata just shrugged. “I guess. We played hide-and-seek too--we had a little secret hideout and everything.” 

The blonde hummed quietly. “Seems like the two of you are close, huh?”

“You could say that.” Hinata shrugged. Eager to change the subject, he asked Tsukki’s older brother a question in return. “How long have you known him?” 

The man, who was in the midst of shelving an admittedly, quite large tome, paused to think. His brow furrowed and he rested the book on one hip, using his now free hand to count on his fingers. “About seven months, give or take.” Hinata raised his eyebrows. He’d known of his friend’s departures from the palace into the town below, but he hadn’t known that he’d been going for so long. 

“Huh.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” 

The two of them soon settled into a comfortable silence, Hinata twiddling his thumbs at the table white the elder Tsukishima continued to reshelve books. A few moments passed before Yamaguchi and Tsukishima returned from behind the door, both of them laughing quietly. Notably, Yamaguchi looked a bit flushed. 

Hinata glanced up at them, making eye contact with his friend. “Are you good to go?” He asked, waiting for some sort of affirmation. They would definitely be talking about this later. 

“Mhm!” The brunette nodded. “‘m all set!” At this, Hinata stood, shooting a smile to the older of the Tsukishima brothers, followed by a slightly smaller one to the younger of the two. 

“I suppose we should be heading home then, yeah?” 

“Yeah!” Yamaguchi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I kind of lost track of time…” Hinata laughed as his friend made his way over to him, linking their arms precariously. “Well, we’re off! Thank you for the help, Tsukki.” 

Tsukishima sighed, “I’ve told you time and time again to just call me Kei…” Akiteru shot him a look. “But it’s no problem.” 

Hinata turned to Akiteru, bowing his head slightly. “Thank you for your hospitality.” 

“Oh, it’s no problem! Any friend of Tadashi’s is a friend of mine!” Tsukishima rolled his eyes at his older brother’s antics. He mumbled something under his breath, causing the elder of two to round on his brother, jabbing him in the side with his finger. 

The two boys took this at their cue to leave, the bell chiming softly as they exited out into the street. The two walked in silence for a while on their way back up towards the castle. They passed by the stalls, the weekend market still in full swing.

The two of them made it past the castle walls when Hinata glanced over at him.

“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it.” Yamaguchi warned.

“So…” Hinata teased, raising his eyebrows lightly at Yamaguchi. “Tsukishima Kei, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey! it's been A WHILE since I've updated and I just wanted to say SORRY SORRY SORRY!!!!! my mom had heart surgery and school started up again and things just got SO BUSY!!! i haven't posted on ao3 in what feels like FOREVER and I hadn't opened my doc for this chapter in like. a month. 
> 
> during my (unplanned) mini-hiatus, I realized a lot of things! i burn out of things a lot, so I need more time to work on them and get the chapters I write to where I want them to be so!! with that New Philosophy in mind, I've decided that rather than the bi-weekly schedule I tried to keep up, chapters will be posted whenever I've finished and am completely satisfied with them!! 
> 
> anyways!! i hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but it's a VERY important one hehe


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